Exceeded_max_patches

FrieChamp

<div class="IPBDescription">Any compiling parameters beside "-chop"?</div> I got a pretty big map which is close to finished, however I am struggling with an "exceeded_max_patches" error. I fixed the problem before by scaling up some textures on brushes which face outside (I had the impression that this didn't really help though) and by adding the "-chop" parameter in hlrad. The chop value was 94 in my last compile, but since then I have added a couple of areas hence the exceeded patches. After I changed it to something around 100 the compile itself worked, but as soon as I started the map in OpenGL I got an "Allocblock: Full" error. The map works in Software mode but this doesn't really help me... I did some research and read that every chop value above 96 will make the lighting look **** anyway so if anybody knows if there is a different parameter (maybe in use with cagey's compiling tools) which increases the patches or in case you know any other solution please let me know.

tseepra

From <a href='http://www.slackiller.com/tommy14/errors.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.slackiller.com/tommy14/errors.htm</a>:

1. Remove any "box" from around your level and fight the leak leak leak war the right way.
2. If you have not boxed in your level, then the #1 fix is running HLRAD with the -sparse flag - but compile will be slower.
3. Using -chop values larger than the default 64 for hlrad will cause the light patches to be larger. However, for values larger than around 96 the map's lights start looking bad, and will more prominently show the 'staircase' effect on shadows.
4. Using a larger scale on large textures (dirt, rock walls, concrete) will help those large surfaces consume fewer patches for lighting.

WarpZone

There is also a custom build of Zoner's tools floating around out there somewhere that has max_map_planes set to a higher limit. The downside is, if your computer can't handle the new limits, it will lock up during the compile.

FrieChamp

My map doesn't have a box and when I enable sparse I still have the same problem <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->

hmm what does max_map_planes have to do with exceeded_max_patches?

Coroner

are you using the -sparce tag? That doubles the max patches you can have.

Ive been told my map ns_spellbound is one if, if not the biggest NS map made, and I didnt go over the limit when I used -sparse. Not until I tried -chop 32 did I exceed the max patches, -chop 48 even ran, and my map was over 1.2mill square feet.

If that dosnt work, go null happy with textures and put texture scale at like 9x on any surface possible.

Soylent_green

Nulling or scaling up textures on the outside of the map will have no effect as those surfaces are removed during the compile(but they do consume some planes). There are generally few faces in the map that can be nulled, but you can however scale up textures, especially on large outdoorsy brushes.

watch_me_die

Also if you have more scaled-down textures than scaled-up you can try using -notexscale <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

FrieChamp

I used "-chop 94" (and the other time "-chop 92"), "-sparse", "-notexscale" as additional parameters and used Cagey's "OptPlns" but I still get the "AllocBlock: Full" error when I start the map...
I have the feeling that it isn't necessarily the patches causing the error. Here is what the OptPlns stats say maybe they help figuring out what's wrong:

<img src='http://www.friechamp.net/optplns.JPG' border='0' alt='user posted image'>

Thaldarin

Again from TommyDs mapping error page:

<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->allocblock:full
A tough one to figure out, vague error that usually shows up when you start the game or during compile, or even when WC/Hammer starts up - you have gone over the memory limit somewhere for some reason. It can be too little RAM (128M is about minimum), a leaf saw into leaf error, too long pathnames, too many textures, too big a level, too big or too many model/sprites, too big a wav sound file - or it could be that old "too many wads" mistake, a huge "noob" brush around the map to prevent leaks, too many SKY faces on hidden brush faces in the level - or even something else. Example: In early versions of NS, the 3D area info location entities were a major cause.
If it happens during compile, do not use WC/Hammer to "run" the map, but use a front end or batch file to compile with. You could also get more RAM.
(The following may still be handy, however be aware that Software mode allocates memory dynamicly, so it may automaticly seem to "fix" any error. Therefore the following info MAY lead you into a dead end:
Some brush-based entities have rendering properties that, when they interact in OpenGL/D3D video cards, they crash. Switch Half-Life to Software mode first, then load the map. If it loads you now know it is something that is handle different in software, then for Opengl/d3d check water, glows, additive, sprites, transparencies (illusionaries, windows, ect.), env_beams and so on.)

If it happens in opening a level in WC, it may be you have an animating model showing in one view. You must switch to single view instead of multiple, and try different ones until you get past it.

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Friechamp I think your error may be more related to this. But the above will still help incase it isn't!
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Switch Half-Life to Software mode first, then load the map. If it loads you now know it is something that is handle different in software, then for Opengl/d3d check water, glows, additive, sprites, transparencies (illusionaries, windows, ect.), env_beams and so on.)
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